India's coal sector

The ordinance -- or executive order -- takes initial steps towards ending a four-decade monopoly on mining and selling coal after the industry was nationalised in 1972 creating Coal India, one of the world`s biggest miners.

The inter-ministerial panel under the Chairmanship of Finance Minister P Chidambaram is likely to meet on Wednesday to discuss the draft coal regulator Bill, which seeks setting up of a regulatory authority for the coal sector.